


A Fleeting Moment

by Bloodsbane



Series: A MarTim Collection [3]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Aromantic Tim Stoker, Banter, Casual Sex, Fluff and Humor, Friends With Benefits, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slice of Life, Trans Male Character, Trans Martin Blackwood, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23748013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloodsbane/pseuds/Bloodsbane
Summary: A collection of snippets taking place in theMarTim Collectionsetting.These are not in chronological order. Most will take place afterA Friendly Favor, but not all, and deviations/details will be noted at the start of each chapter. The series as a whole is MarTim-centric, but it may feature one or both characters within other relationships as well! So just take note of that going in~
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Series: A MarTim Collection [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1696567
Comments: 19
Kudos: 114





	1. Hickey

**Author's Note:**

> these are going to be short and silly! most likely nothing too explicit, given their brevity and lightheartedness, but i'll be sure to update the tags to stay accurate.
> 
> also: though this is rated M, there will be some E-rated chapters, they're just a very small minority so I didn't wanna tag the whole fic as E. those chapters will be marked as such in the beginning notes.

“Well damn, Stoker, you get lucky last night or something?”

Tim looked up from his work to see his coworker, Maizy, regarding him with a knowing smirk. He tilted his head at them and offered a smile. “Sorry?” 

They tapped their neck in explanation. Tim realized what they must be referring to, and merely shrugged, chuckling at their expression. “Oh, yeah. That. Just been catching up with a friend from my last job.”

“An old coworker gave you that?” Maizy asked. “What, are all of us here at risk then?”

There were a couple things Tim could say to that, but he held his tongue. Given he was in a superior position to a lot of the folks on this floor of the publishing house, he had to be a bit more careful with the casual flirtation that had been more or less acceptable back at the Institute. 

“It’s more like… he’s a  _ very  _ good friend,” Tim offered, and Maizy merely laughed. After they chatted a bit more and Maizy reluctantly went back to actually doing their work, Tim took a moment to properly button up his shirt and adjust the collar. If he was going to be seeing Martin regularly again, he’d have to remember to look out for hickeys. 


	2. Sexy Dice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim wants to try out sexy dice.

“I don’t think this is working, Tim.” 

“What? Of course it’s working. Look.” Tim gestured to the large, fuzzy pink and white dice resting innocently at the foot of Martin’s bed. _“Lick ear?_ I can do that!”

Martin only made a grumpy face. Tim wiggled his eyebrows and attempted to draw closer on the bed, but Martin shoved a pillow in his face. “Do not lick my ear!”

“Then roll again!” Tim said, muffled through the pillow. “If you want to be a coward about it.” 

“It’s not cowardly to not want someone french kissing your ear, Tim.”

“Sounds like something a coward would say,” Tim insisted, and leaned away to grab the dice himself. “Fine, let me try then.”

The next two words were _kiss_ and _ankle,_ and even Tim had to admit these sexy dice were a bit lacking on actually sexy options. Why the hell would ear and ankle even be on the second die? It only had six sides, it shouldn’t be wasting them!

“You’re the one who wanted to try something new,” Martin sighed. He sounded slightly more fond than exasperated, though, so Tim took it as his invitation to gently lift the man’s ankle to his mouth for a little kiss. 

“Let’s try the dice another time,” he suggested slowly, kissing his way up Martin’s leg. He was wearing shorts today, leaving his pale skin exposed up to his thigh. “Maybe we can find some new ones-”

“Ones that don’t suck?”

“Hey! We haven’t explored all the options yet, give ‘em a fair shake!”

To Tim’s dismay, his face was pushed away from Martin’s leg. The larger man reached past Tim to grab the dice and inspect their sides. Wordlessly and with a blank expression, he turned them over so that Tim could read _hump_ and _nose_ side by side. 

“Uh, okay, maybe sexy dice was a dumb idea.”


	3. Safewords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Martin discuss their history with safewords.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene takes place before A Friendly Favor, not too long after Tim and Martin have hooked up for the first time.

“What sorts of safewords have you used?”

Tim, who was lying on Martin’s couch reading a magazine, tilted his head to look upside-down at his host. “Safewords?”

“I mean- if, if you’ve used any before,” Martin added, clearly shy, blushing already. “I don’t mean to make assumptions...” 

Tim gave Martin a fond smile. They’d only slept together twice so far, but Martin was great in bed, and Tim had developed some suspicions on what sorts of things Martin might be into. He wasn’t especially surprised the man had brought up safewords. “No worries. I’ve used ‘em, yeah. You think we might need one in future?” 

“They’re good to have,” Martin said, too quietly to seem casual. “Do you, um, have any preferences?”

“Not particularly. I’ve done a couple of methods. Do  _ you  _ have a preference?”

“I like colors,” Martin admits. “They’re easier to remember and I- I know it’s dumb, but I hate saying silly words during sex. Even if the point is to slow things down or- or make them stop, you know? It just- I don’t like it. I prefer the stoplight system, I guess.”

“Red, yellow, green, right?”

“Yeah.”

“We can do that. I get what you mean though, some safewords  _ totally  _ ruin the mood.”

Martin chuckled at that. “Again, I get that’s the  _ point _ , but I know I’ve had to use some really bad ones.”

Tim finally sat up properly, leaning on the arm of the couch to grin at Martin. “Oh, I bet I’ve had worse.” 

“Anything worse than rutabaga?” 

“Rutabaga!” Tim exclaimed, surprised. “Who the hell comes up with  _ that  _ as a safeword?”

“Had a partner who hated them,” Martin says, “Like, really despised the things. Had a whole vendetta. He said it worked better than anything else.”

“Huh. Well, let me think… I’ve had spider before.”

Martin looked offended. “Spider?” 

“That one didn’t last long,” Tim admits, chuckling. “Had to use it once, just for a quick pause in the middle of things, and it nearly gave her a heart attack - I think she’d forgotten, actually. She thought I meant there was a real spider and freaked out.”

They both laughed at that, and then Martin said, “Vermillion is another one.”

“That’s a color, right?” 

“Yeah. It’s like a sort of dusty bright red.” 

“They have a grudge against dusty bright red?”

“No, no, it was just that he argued ‘red’ was too generic for a safeword. Safewords are supposed to seem really random, right? So they can’t be brought up on accident in the middle of sex, and mistaken for a safeword?”

“I suppose. I’ve had partners use pretty basic words before. Dog, lamp, uh… dandelion, once. Kinda liked that one.”

Martin was blushing again. “Well, I think you’ve, uh, certainly got me when it comes to quantity.” 

Tim smiles proudly, as if Martin just praised him. “I just like to have fun, Martin. And it pays to be careful! Lot of the time, I’ve never even had safewords come up in actuality.” 

Martin hums in agreement, leaning back in his chair. His hands fiddle with the book he was reading, but before he goes back to it, he asks, “So, colors then?”

Tim nods and turns back to his own reading material. “Colors sound good.” 


	4. Pretty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim thinks Martin is pretty.

They’re out for ice cream at a small place near the park when Tim says, “You’re really pretty, y’know?” **  
**

Mostly he says it because it’s on his mind, but Tim’s always had good timing, and he lets himself be amused at the way Martin flinches in surprise. The top of Martin’s soft-serve cone bumps into his nose and he spends a few seconds sputtering while Tim laughs.

“Need a napkin?”

“I- shut up- yes.” 

Tim grabs a napkin from the little metal holder at the edge of their table. The sitting area is nice, though there aren’t any umbrellas to keep the sun away. Which is just as well, because the afternoon is waning and the light has turned deliciously orange. This is Tim’s favorite time of day; he loves to see how sunlight looks when it’s this color, how it changes the hue of everything. It looks good now, caught in Martin’s hair, turning the usual light brown into something warmer, a bit golden. 

“Don’t say things like that out of the blue,” Martin grumbles behind his napkin. 

“But it’s true,” Tim says. He leans on one elbow, resting his head in his palm as he munches on his cone. Chews and smiles beneath Martin’s glare. 

“I’m not pretty,” Martin says, so plainly. It’s devoid of his usual self-deprecation - though, Tim has noticed most of that has disappeared since they’ve started seeing each other again. It crops up now and then, but it was much worse when they first met. Still, though, Martin will say things like this, and it makes Tim feel eager to dethrone such notions. 

“Who says?”

“I says.” Martin sounds a bit haughty, which Tim isn’t expecting. He watches as the man proceeds to disprove his point by tucking a lock of hair behind his left ear. He’s wearing earrings, as usual, though the studs are gold instead of black today. It fits with the nicely-lit picture Tim’s been admiring for the past twenty minutes. “You’re the pretty one.” 

“Me?”

“Yeah!” Martin takes a few licks of his ice cream to keep it from dripping onto his hands, then begins listing things off his fingers. “Nice hair, clear skin, sharp eyes, long eyelashes.”

“You’ve got nice hair,” Tim protests. “And I like all your freckles, they’re cute.”

“Cute isn’t pretty,” Martin points out. “Look, I just tick different boxes than you.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You’re pretty, or handsome, or hot, or sexy,” Martin says. “I’m… cute, and maybe homely; that’s really about it.”

“Not true! You’re pretty _and_ handsome _and_ also those other things!” 

“You’re easily impressed.”

“Should I be taking that as an insult, Blackwood?”

“Probably,” Martin chuckles, and goes back to his cone. Tim backs off for the moment, shoving the last of his dessert into his mouth. He lets himself be satisfied with the cool taste of chocolate on his tongue as the sun slowly eases to hide behind the city skyline, casting pale blue shadows across the park. 

“Well, I think you’re pretty,” Tim eventually says. “Consider the box ticked, for me.” 

“Whatever you say, Tim. All I mean is that word choice matters.” 

“Oh, I see. You’re getting all elitist on me; your poet is showing, Martin.” 

This manages to get Martin blushing at last, which makes Tim smile. Yes, very pretty indeed.


	5. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martin does something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the fic's first E-rated chapter! this one takes place before A Friendly Favor. please heed the notes below.
> 
> small cws:
> 
> \- explicit chapter!  
> \- trans male char having vaginal sex  
> \- char crying during sex (he's fine though!)

It happens after a frustrating day of work. Jon had lost his temper -- _again_ \-- after Martin made one too many mistakes. It left Tim with a sullen, near-weepy friend by the end of the day, and it hadn’t been a hard decision to walk Martin home and keep him company. 

The walk seemed to help him feel a lot better. Tim was still learning Martin, still developing a relationship beyond their status as _coworkers_ or _friends with benefits._ It’s what Tim preferred with anyone he slept with, though he was often happy keeping things casual, with no strings attached. But he liked Martin -- liked his sly sense of humor, his laugh, his earnestness. 

So, really, he hadn’t been planning for them to have sex. Hadn’t meant to initiate anything once they got to Martin’s place. His first instinct was to offer to buy takeout, maybe watch a movie. He was interrupted when Martin took his hand and quietly asked if they could go lie down on the bed for a bit. 

Which led to cuddling, of course. Which led to kissing. Which led to a really lovely makeout session that had Tim rutting against the thigh Martin had tucked between his legs. 

So he didn’t think too much of eating Martin out or fingering him, bringing him to climax a little quicker than usual. Certainly didn’t mind when Martin beckoned for him to put on a condom and take his place between Martin’s legs. 

This was only the third time Tim had done this with Martin -- vaginal penetration, that is. Martin was a bit reluctant with using the front, as it were, until they’d been seeing each other for a few weeks. Now that Martin was comfortable, Tim had a suspicion he preferred it to the other method. Which was perfectly fine with Tim, and he eased into Martin with relish, kissing his neck and letting his mind go pleasantly blank as he listened to the sounds Martin was making beneath his mouth. 

They set an even pace, not slow in any way, but nothing about it felt frantic. It was an easy rhythm that slowed frequently for more kissing. 

And then Tim shifted, just a tad, getting at a new angle. It let him rock his hips a bit more easily, and soon he was thrusting into Martin with increased speed, sucking on one nipple as Martin gripped his hair, moaning. 

Then his moan caught and Tim knew he was coming again, and it was enough to push him over the edge too. Tim let out a satisfied grunt into Martin’s skin. 

Then Martin was making _more_ noises, but they weren’t the ones Tim had expected. It took him a second to recognize the sob for what it was, so small and muffled. When Tim looked up, Martin was hiding his mouth behind one hand. His eyes were closed but his chest shook beneath Tim, and there were tears falling down his cheeks. 

“Ah-! Martin?” Tim sat up; he would’ve pulled out, but he still felt a bit fuzzy and off-kilter, plus he didn’t want to stimulate Martin. “Don’t cry! What- what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” 

There was something dark and heavy in Tim’s stomach as he watched Martin shake his head, letting out a weak sound as he tries to catch his breathe. It burned away any lingering arousal. “Martin?”

“S’ry,” Martin mumbled against his hand. Then, to Tim’s surprise, he waved his other one in the air and let out a choked sound, something almost like a laugh. “No, s’fine, s’fine Tim. I’m- You’re fine.”

“No I’m not, you’re crying! I don’t want you to- Listen, can I pull out?”

Martin nods and lets Tim pull away. He’s quick to discard the condom and crawl up to lie down next to Martin. “What’s wrong? What’d I do?” 

“Didn’t do anything,” Martin says, and he’s smiling now. “I’m sorry, I just- this happens sometimes. During sex, I mean.”

“Bursting into tears?”

Another laugh, a longer one that’s enough to make Tim smile, too. “Yeah, basically. I just get, um. Sometimes, if I feel really overwhelmed or something- like, too good, I guess?” 

“Overstimulated?”

“Yeah, but not just that. Emotionally. I think today just put me on edge for a few reasons, so this was really, really nice, but also a lot at once. Y’know? I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“I’m fine! I’m- I was just worried. I don’t think I’ve had a partner cry like that during sex before, so I was caught off guard a little.”

“You were fine,” Martin reassures him. “Very lovely, actually. Um… thank you. For helping me feel better, and everything.” 

Tim wipes the last few tears from Martin’s eyes and gives him a kiss on his nose. “Think nothing of it, bud.” 


	6. New Jeans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim makes the mistake of bringing Martin to his new job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to take this chance to say thanks to everyone who's been leaving comments/keeping up with this series! It always makes me happy to read what yall have to say, I'm really glad you're enjoying these two goons as much as I am~

Tim knew he was staring. He knew he was staring, but it was, frankly, quite difficult not to. 

He was showing Martin around the publishing house. There wasn’t much to see - the company was new, just getting its baring, and so the building was a bit empty and the staff was sparse. But Tim had his own office on the second floor, which was neat, and Martin had wanted to meet his coworkers. They were planning to head out for drinks after Tim gave him the tour. 

But this. This was really quite unfair, Tim thought, biting his lip. Because Maizy was here, and so were Jade and Amanda, and they were going to notice the way Tim couldn’t keep his eyes off Martin’s ass and they were going to tease him relentlessly for it. 

Tim hadn’t really considered what it might be like, to have his easy breezy flirty coworker shtick cribbed by his own subordinates. Maizy was almost as sharp as Sasha when it came to noticing details, and Amanda was a terrifying gossip. It would be all over the building before he and Martin got back out the door. 

But what could he do? He was shit out of luck, really, because Martin had gotten a new pair of jeans that just really… They were really good. _Tight_. And they looked comfortable, too, a dark material that gently creased with every step Martin took up the stairs. 

Tim made sure he wasn’t visibly drooling by the time they got to the second floor, and tried to stay focused while introducing Martin to the others. Maizy gave him a knowing look, one which Tim aggressively ignored. 

And he would have gotten off scott free, too, if Martin hadn’t accidentally knocked over a cup of pens. There was nothing to be done, no way to stop the man from fretfully apologizing and quickly bending over to clean up his mess. 

Maizy was at his side in an instant. “So. This the _very good friend_ you mentioned, Stoker?” 

“Buzz off, Maizy.”

“What? I don’t mean anything by it. I can certainly see _why_ you’re fond of him.”

Tim gently knocked their shoulder with his own, trying to scowl, but it probably wasn’t too convincing. Jade was helping Martin pick up her things, waving off his apologies and laughing with good nature at his distress. Behind Martin was Amanda, who also seemed to be enjoying his new jeans. She caught Tim looking and gave him a salacious wink, and Tim realized he had probably made a terrible mistake. 


	7. Blanket Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bedtime troubles at 3 am.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot second huh! Well, enjoy the boys being cold (then cozy).

Tim wakes up in the middle of the night too cold and mildly smooshed. His entire right side is pressed quite firmly into the wall. The only part of him that’s warm is his left flank, where Martin’s back rests against him. It’s too dark to see, but Tim’s absolutely certain that the comforter and undersheet have both been kicked down and away from him, possibly off the bed completely, or at least tangled up in Martin’s legs. 

For a minute, he wonders if he can just fall back asleep like this. They both had a long day at work and their evening had been busy, lots of late-afternoon errands followed by a big dinner and take-home-assignments from their respective jobs. Tim had nearly fallen asleep over his laptop by the time Martin declared it too late to keep working. He wants nothing more than to slip back into the cozy dark of sleep, but he hates being cold; already, shivers are making his teeth chatter. With great reluctance, Tim pushes himself up into a slouched but upright position so he can drape his torso over Martin’s shoulder. “Maaaarrttinnn.”

The man beneath him responds immediately, mumbling blearily before turning his head in Tim’s direction. His breathing changes as he wakes up and asks, “Mm? Tim, wassit?” 

“Blankets,” Tim tells him. He rests his forehead against Martin’s shoulder, which is a little warmer. “Kicked ‘em again.” 

“No,” Martin protests weakly. 

“You did, you did. I’m turning into a Tim-cicle over here.” 

“Noooooo.” Martin’s cute when he’s sleepy, and the amusement Tim feels at his comically mournful, apologetic tone almost makes up for the fact that he should, by all accounts, still be unconscious. 

There’s no further need to pester; Martin’s legs are already kicking, his feet catching on the blankets and pulling them up enough so his arms can reach. He then rolls around and pulls them up and over Tim, swaddling him with all the finesse to be expected of someone half-asleep. 

It’s not until Tim wiggles free and fixes up the covers that he realizes Martin left none for himself - not only that, but he’s moved away on the bed, closer to the edge. “Get back here,” Tim grumbles, scooching close. 

“I’ll kick ‘em again,” Martin sighs. “Not cold.”

“You’ll be cold later.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yes-huh.” Tim pushes himself up close to Martin’s side, tossing over one corner of the lighter sheet. “It always happens: you get too hot, kick the covers, then you wake up cold.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Go to sleep,” Tim tells him. He tucks his head back on Martin’s shoulder, and hums with great satisfaction when Martin finally shifts, snaking his arm beneath Tim to pull him in close. If they’re lucky, they’ll both sleep deeply enough to prevent anymore smothering or blanket-stealing. 


	8. Simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, sex is simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello martim nation how are we doing, how are we feeling
> 
> sorry for taking such a long break from this series! what can i say tho... the fandom be poppin. and i have been writing many things... 
> 
> cws:   
> \- explicit chapter  
> \- only terms used for martin here would be 'wet'

Sometimes, sex is complicated. Or, at the very least, it’s something Tim likes to think he approaches with some nuance. Sometimes it’s just for fun, more like a game than anything; sometimes it’s more meaningful, emotional, something Tim wants to savor. It can feel like a decadence or indulgence, even though Tim isn’t really the type to blow things like this out of proportion; sex can be a lot of things to a lot of people, and that doesn’t always mean it’s something especially grand. Sometimes it’s simple. Sometimes, sex is just fucking.

This is one of those times. He and Martin are barely in the flat before their hands are reaching, grabbing, tugging. Tim attaches his mouth to Martin’s neck and Martin’s hand is in Tim’s pants and before he knows it, they’re grinding on the couch, and Martin’s wet under his hand, and then they’re fucking. 

It’s not very elegant, but it is delicious, and Tim loves to see Martin like this. Needy, demanding, pulling Tim as close as he possibly can with the grip of his thighs. One arm grips the back of the couch desperately while the other holds Tim by the forearm. All the while, Martin makes the most beautiful noises, unabashed and earnest. 

Tim honestly can’t imagine getting enough of this. There are times when Martin’s low energy or his mind wanders, when he’s so not in the mood to do anything, and it feels like cool rain that douses any of Tim’s fire. Which is more than fine, it’s just taken a bit of adjustment over the time they’ve known each other — they fell into step soon enough, and now they can keep the pace with each other. 

Then there are moments like these, when Tim instead feels caught under the heat of the sun, beating down on him intensely. Sometimes Martin gets this look in his eye that makes Tim feel so wanted, it’s almost a little scary. He likes the way it makes him feel, though, singled out and coveted. It’s a side of Martin that he knows not just anyone would be allowed to see. 

Harder, Martin gasps. More. Tim goes harder, fucking Martin with every ounce of focus he has. There are times for foreplay and kissing and gentle touches, for negotiation and planning and playing their little games. This is not that time, and Tim lets himself get lost in the warm, slick feeling of mindless hunger. 

**Author's Note:**

> (you guys are more than welcome to offer suggestions for topics in this series. maybe if you have a question concerning some detail of the AU, that i maybe might not otherwise cover? either way, feel free, and thanks for reading~)


End file.
